To watch Ray Gleave surf is a humble reminder of a lot of things — most obvious being our own inadequacy on a longboard. The intention of this edit is far from that, but those feelings are difficult to avoid as he effortlessly slides up and down and around those rolling waves. The less intimidating reminder lies in his longevity, and how surfing is a passion that is constantly recasting the role it plays, whether at once competitive and now therapeutic, or a new challenge altogether.
Whatever reasons we find ourselves in the water for, there is one thing we all might agree on, which Ray invokes when talking about sessions with his wife: “It’s about being together in the ocean… seeing the dolphins and the whales, and being connected to life.”
However zen-like Ray sees the lineup now, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t sink in with that signature style. How about that gouging drop knee cutback?
Timeless.
See more from the filmmaker, Stephan Jose, at StephanJoseFilms.com
